Shelf Awareness for Thursday, July 18, 2013

News

Espresso Book Machine for BAM Store in Maine

In what is the first agreement of its kind with a national bookstore chain, On Demand Books is installing an Espresso Book Machine in the Books-A-Million store in Portland, Maine, the first Espresso Book Machine in Maine. A second Espresso will be installed in another BAM store, whose location will be announced later. Most Espresso POD machines are located in independent or college bookstores and libraries.

BAM CEO Terrance Finley said that the machines will give customers "access to a virtual inventory of seven million titles instantly available to them. Our customers will also be able to print their self-published works or any user generated content, photo books, recipes, etc., in a matter of minutes and pick it up in our store."

Espresso Book Machine for BAM Store in Maine

AAP Sales: E-Books Come Down to Earth in First Quarter

In the first quarter of the year, total net book sales fell 2.6%, to $2.273 billion, compared to the first quarter of 2012, representing sales of 1,192 publishers and distributed clients as reported to the Association of American Publishers.

The most striking aspect of the quarter is the slowdown in e-book sales, to the point where some e-book categories--religious and children's/YA e-books--had lower sales in the first three months of this year than last year. Adult e-books, which for a time were growing at a triple-digit rate, were up a more mundane 13.6%.

AAP Sales: E-Books Come Down to Earth in First Quarter

Call to Limit NSA's 'Runaway Surveillance Programs'

Following recent revelations about the National Security Agency and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court--courtesy of Edward Snowden and others--the Campaign for Reader Privacy, the joint initiative of the American Booksellers Association, the American Library Association, the Association of American Publishers and PEN American Center, has called for Congress to pass legislation "to restore privacy protections for bookstore and library records that were stripped by the Patriot Act" as a way to rein in "runaway surveillance programs."

In a public letter, the Campaign for Reader Privacy wrote, "Two years ago, Congress voted to extend Section 215 of the Patriot Act without addressing weaknesses in the law that allow the government to gather information about law-abiding citizens' private lives. It did so despite evidence that Section 215 and other post-9/11 surveillance powers were being abused. Just how serious the abuses have been is now clear."

The group cited the NSA's compilation of records of phone calls of Verizon business customers and the customers of other phone companies without regard to whether customers were suspected of being involved in terrorism or anything else illegal; the NSA's collection of metadata about Internet communications without warrants or probable cause; the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court's approval of just about every government application for more powers and its secret opinions "shielded from public and constitutional review."

The call for changes in Section 215 comes as many Senators and Representatives, both Republican and Democratic, are questioning the extent of domestic surveillance. Only yesterday, the Justice Department was repeatedly criticized during a House Judiciary Committee hearing. The reaction has gotten so strong that even Representative Jim Sensenbrenner (R.-Wis.), who wrote part of the Patriot Act and has long defended it, said that the law was not intended to allow the collection of phone records of most Americans. He and others have threatened either to not to renew the Act when it expires in 2015.

Call to Limit NSA's 'Runaway Surveillance Programs'

Data About BISG's New Industry Awards

The Book Industry Study Group is organizing its first industry awards, which will be presented at the group's annual meeting on September 27 in New York City. The four awards will "recognize outstanding contributions to, and outstanding achievements in, the publishing ecosystem." BISG is asking for nominations from its members.

The awards are:

Friend of the Industry, for an "individual whose work over the past year has gone above and beyond the requirements of his or her position and has contributed to the functioning of the publishing value chain as a whole."

Industry Innovation Award, for an "individual or company whose innovation in tools or processes has contributed to removing friction between trading partners and resulted in more efficient and profitable relationships."

Most Valuable Committee Participant, for "the BISG committee member who, in the previous year, has made the greatest contribution while reflecting BISG's core principle of solving industry challenges and finding opportunities through its member-run committees."

Lifetime Achievement Award, for "an individual for outstanding work on behalf of BISG over the course of their career, via meeting input, service on the executive board, or committee work."

Nominations are due by the end of the day July 30. A jury, which will make most selections for both short lists and winners is composed of Kyusik Chung of Goodreads.com, Sally Dedecker of Sally Dedecker Enterprises, Kelly Gallagher of Ingram Content Group, Ted Hill of THA Consulting, Kat Meyer of the Frankfurt Book Fair and Carolyn Pittis of Welman Digital Media.

Data About BISG's New Industry Awards

Susan Savory Opens Children's Book Buying Service

Susan Savory, who until last month was children's book buyer and coordinator of children's events at Bunch of Grapes, Vineyard Haven, Mass., for three years, has launched a children's book buying service for independent bookstores.

The service can, she said on her website, "build and maintain a profitable, signature children's section for your store for a fraction of the cost of training and employing permanent staff."

The service plan includes an initial conversation and store visit--either in person or via e-mail, photos and Skype--that aims to "identify your needs, explore your store's personality and begin to tailor a section that is uniquely yours." After that, Savory can develop an opening inventory, buy on an ongoing basis, replenish backlist, do returns as needed and track sales and profitability. She also provides merchandising services--including shelf talkers, handselling tips and tools and window and table displays--and quarterly newsletters focusing on backlist.

Savory has 15 years of experience in children's books: in 1998, she opened Shoofly Pie, a children's bookstore in Portsmouth, N.H., was a manager of the Andover Bookstore, Andover, Mass., and is a member of the team at Paz & Associates, responsible for choosing new children's titles for its newsletter program and developing opening inventories for new stores.

Susan Savory Opens Children's Book Buying Service

Obituary Note: Lindy Hess

Lindy Hess, director of the Columbia Publishing Course and an editor, died on Saturday of lung cancer. She was 63. The New York Times credited Hess, who was earlier editorial director of Dolphin Books, with having "transformed an antiquated training program into an influential part of the publishing world."

Obituary Note: Lindy Hess

Notes

Image of the Day: Rock & Roll Book Tour

Bohjalian and Kiernan

More than 300 people showed up for the "Rock & Roll Book Tour" featuring Chris Bohjalian (The Light in the Ruins) and Stephen Kiernan (The Curiosity), co-presented by Phoenix Books, Burlington, Vt. and the Fletcher Free Library.

Phoenix Books' co-owner Renee Reiner setting up for the event.

In addition to a book talk, sale and signing, the evening featured T-shirt giveaways and an opportunity for attendees to win a visit from Bohjalian to their book group. A portion of the proceeds from book sales went to benefit the library, where the event took place.

Image of the Day: Rock & Roll Book Tour

Congratulations, Marion Zahrt, a Bookseller for 60 Years!

photo: Dan Young/Daily Herald Media

Congratulations to Marion Zahrt, who is celebrating her 60th anniversary as a bookseller at Janke Bookstore, Wausau, Wis. Zahrt, who is 77, was hired in 1953 after graduating from high school, the Wasau Daily Herald wrote. Zahrt has worked for three generations of Jankes and was a part of the bookstore's two moves, in 1967 and 1991. In Zahrt's honor, the store hosted a party yesterday, with ice cream from Sweets on 3rd.

Still living in the house her father built in Wasau, Zahrt told the paper: "My job is really interesting now because it has changed so much. The merchandise has changed a ton. But a bookstore has to change with the times, just like Wausau has."

Calling itself "Wisconsin's oldest bookstore," Janke's Bookstore was founded in 1874 and bought by Carl Janke in 1919 after he was discharged from the army after World War I.

Congratulations, Marion Zahrt, a Bookseller for 60 Years!

Cool Idea of the Day: StoryMobs for Kids

Last Saturday, Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto "turned into a wild rumpus, thanks to the inaugural StoryMobs, a literary flash mob designed for kids," Quillblog reported. The event, first of a series organized by children's book advocate Roxanne Deans and costume designer Gretel Meyer Odell, "kicked off with a group reading of Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are. StoryMobs provided accessories and props, although many of the families came decked out in their own ears, tails, and crowns (and carrying donations for the Children's Book Bank)."

Upcoming Story Mobs are planned for Phoebe Gillman's Jillian Jiggs (July 27), Robert Munsch's The Paper Bag Princess (August 17) and an unannounced title on September 7.

Media Heat: Dan Savage on Real Time with Bill Maher

Movies: Wild; Red Wing

Fox Searchlight has acquired worldwide rights to Wild, the film adaptation of Cheryl Strayed's bestselling memoir, starring Reese Witherspoon, with a screenplay by Nick Hornby. The Hollywood Reporter noted that Witherspoon and Bruna Papandrea, "who originally optioned the book through their Pacific Standard banner, will produce with River Road Entertainment's Bill Pohlad." The movie is set to begin production in the late fall, once a director has been hired.

"We are so excited to be working with Fox Searchlight to bring Wild to the screen," Witherspoon said. "It is an extraordinary company that continually strives to bring original, inspirational films to the marketplace."

On her Facebook page, Strayed wrote: "I'm thrilled about this news! Fox Searchlight acquires worldwide rights to WILD, starring Reese Witherspoon. The plan is to shoot this fall. Fingers crossed!"

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Integrity Film Productions has released a trailer for Red Wing, based on George Sand's 19th century novella. Deadline.com reported that the film, directed by Will Wallace, stars Bill Paxton, Luke Perry, Frances Fisher, Joelle Carter, Glen Powell and Breann Johnson.

Movies: Wild; Red Wing

This Weekend on Book TV: Harlem Book Fair

Book TV airs on C-Span 2 this week from 8 a.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Monday and focuses on political and historical books as well as the book industry. The following are highlights for this coming weekend. For more information, go to Book TV's website.

Saturday, July 2010:30 a.m. Book TV visits Dover, Del., to interview several of the city's authors and tour its literary sites, including Acorn Books. (Re-airs Sunday at 9 a.m.)

11:45 a.m. Book TV offers live coverage of the 15th annual Harlem Book Fair from the New York Public Library's Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. (Re-airs Sunday at 12 a.m.)

8:45 p.m. Richard Rubin, author of The Last of the Doughboys: The Forgotten Generation and Their Forgotten World War (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $28, 9780547554433), at an event hosted by Longfellow Books, Portland, Maine.

10 p.m. After Words. Washington Post news editor Vincent Bzdek interviews Barbara Perry, author of Rose Kennedy: The Life and Times of a Political Matriarch (Norton, $27.95, 9780393068955). (Re-airs Sunday at 9 p.m., Monday at 12 a.m. & 3 a.m. and July 28 at 12 p.m.)

6:30 p.m. Judith Flanders, author of The Invention of Murder: How the Victorians Revelled in Death and Detection and Created Modern Crime (Thomas Dunne, $26.99, 9781250024879). (Re-airs Monday at 2:30 a.m.)

This Weekend on Book TV: Harlem Book Fair

Books & Authors

Awards: Edna Staebler Shortlist

Finalists have been named for the $10,000 Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction, which recognizes Canadian writers for a first or second work of creative non-fiction that includes a Canadian locale and/or significance, Quillblog reported. The winner will be announced July 30. This year's shortlisted titles are:

Intolerable: A Memoir of Extremes by Kamal Al-Solaylee A Thousand Farewells: A Reporter's Journey from Refugee Camp to the Arab Spring by Nahlah Ayed Into the Abyss: How a Deadly Plane Crash Changed the Lives of a Pilot, a Politician, a Criminal and a Cop by Carol Shaben

Attainment: New Titles Out Next Week

Book Review

Review: Archangel

Andrea Barrett, a National Book Award winner for the short story collection Ship Fever, once again navigates the wonders of science in Archangel--a magnificent book that explores five decisive moments in the lives of her characters that have an impact not only on them but also on the advancement of human knowledge.

"The Eclipse" is set during the summer of 1908, when 12-year-old Constantine Boyd is sent to live with an uncle who is an experimenter--with crops, fish that live in caves, bicycles with motors and an early aeroplane. The boy would like nothing better than to stay there forever, away from his angry father, but his uncle tells him that he is needed at home.

In "The Ether of Space," in 1920, a popular science writer and young widow struggles with the new theory of relativity. She listens to Sir Oliver Lodge, a (real) noted physicist and spiritualist of the day. "All are eager for trustworthy information about both the material and spiritual worlds, which together constitute the universe," Sir Oliver says. "The ether of space is the connecting link." He believed this ether was also the connection through which communication with his deceased son took place. But, if Einstein's theory was correct, no such ether was necessary to explain the physical world.

In "The Particles," several young men, sometimes friends and sometimes not, study genetics by observing fruit flies. A famous biologist struggles to keep his reputation intact in order not to be discredited in the eyes of his students as he fights against Darwin's theory of evolution in "The Island." Then, in the last story, "Archangel," Constantine Boyd, a decade older, is now a young U.S. soldier in Russia, wondering about his government's intentions. A bomb blast drives a bone from his friend's body into his leg; the pain is wearing him out and no one is willing to help. What he does to get their attention is dangerous, foolhardy--and just might work.

Barrett combines fact and fiction in scenarios that bring the reader to a better understanding of the high cost, both personal and public, of scientific advances. For all that is gained, a great deal is lost: reputations, long-held beliefs, years of research. Her own scientific knowledge illuminates these complex questions and discoveries without sacrificing character or story. --Valerie Ryan